I slept well. For some inexplicable reason I woke feeling
that I really had to put laundry into the washing machine, and as the thing
started churning so I felt a strange sense of completion and relief. What was
that all about?
Over a bowl of granola I watched the last episode of "Trailer
Park Boys: The Animated Series” before sparking up the Internet. Not much
had happened overnight really, but I had another email from geocaching HQ in
which they assured me that they had sorted out their squabbles with my old
email provider.
I played an on-line jigsaw puzzle whilst I waited for the
washing machine to finish, hung the washing out and then got ready for work.
As I drove to work the pundits on the
radio were talking about how many people have got into serious debt through
on-line gambling during the lock-down. Some woman was on the radio saying how
she'd blown thirty thousand pounds on the on-line slot machines. Having lost a
*lot* of money she'd then thrown away far more trying to gamble it back
again and has now exhausted all her cash and all avenues of credit.
There was an interview with some other
woman who was (supposedly) a big cheese in the regulation of on-line
gambling. Whilst she sympathised for all those people who now can't afford to
eat because they have blown every penny on the horses, she felt that the public
had to realise that the gambling industry is vital to finance the sport that
the nation loves. As this woman wittered on, it was revealed that through
sponsoring big sporting events and getting their names on the telly, the names
of the big on-line bookmakers are now more familiar to children than the names
of many high-street retailers.
Yet again I found myself getting rather
cross. I've often ranted that sport is something that is *done*, not *watched*,
but it would seem that I was wrong on both of those options. Sport is (apparently)
primarily something to be gambled on.
I can't help but think that the
regulation of gambling should be seriously increased, and if greedy bookmakers
go out of business, then that is a shame. And if watching sport is such a big
thing (which for many it clearly is), why not do away with the on-line
gambling sponsorship and have sporting events as "pay per view".
After all, that is what the TV companies have done with Star Trek.
I got to work and deployed some
mysteries (it's a Munzee thing) then got on with work. Half-way through
the morning I was called into the boss's office. Apparently I have been
identified as being more at risk from coronavirus than many of my colleagues as
I am a white middle-aged porker.
It was shortly after this when we peered
out of the window watching the antics of an amorous pair of young ladies who
were laying on the grass outside. Far from socially distancing, they were
enjoying squeezing each other's spots.
And they say romance is dead...
My phone beeped. The official app of the Met Office had
declared a Yellow Alert, warning me of expected serious amounts of rain in the
next few hours. The BBC's weather app said there was (at worst) a six
per cent chance of rain today. One of them has been making it up.
By the time the evening came I had decided that the BBC’s
app was the right one; the evening was glorious. We did “boot dogs” and
drove down to Orlestone woods where we had a rather good walk and met no ne at
all. We just walked and enjoyed the peace and quiet.
"er indoors TM" boiled up a
decent plate of gammon and chips which we scoffed whilst watching “Bake Off:
The Professionals”. I wish I could cook good enough to end up on a show
like that…
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